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Select Committee · Women and Equalities Committee

The rights of older people

Status: Closed Opened: 20 Sep 2023 Closed: 3 Sep 2025 8 recommendations 5 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry considers key issues faced by older people from their own perspectives and those of expert witnesses, including discrimination lawyers and advocacy organisations. It examines whether there is enough focus on the issues and effective policies to tackle them. It looks at how well older people’s rights are protected in equality law and whether … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - The rights of older people HC 414 19 Feb 2025 13 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
6 Recommendation 3rd Report - The rights of older people Accepted

Publish refreshed Digital Inclusion Strategy with detailed focus on older people’s digital needs.

The Government must bring forward a refreshed Digital Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy should have a detailed focus on the needs of digitally excluded older people, including a plan for funding locally delivered digital skills provision and promoting best practice in the public and private sectors in maintaining offline alternatives to … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it has already published a Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which addresses the recommendation by focusing on older people, funding local initiatives through an Innovation Fund, promoting best practice, and improving connectivity via Project Gigabit.
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Government Equalities Office
11 Recommendation 3rd Report - The rights of older people Accepted

Establish a data and policy analysis unit within Cabinet Office for a cross-departmental ageing strategy.

We recommend the establishment of a unit of data and policy analysts within the Cabinet Office’s Office of Equality and Opportunity to build an evidence base on the key cross-departmental challenges, including intersectional issues, facing older people now and in the coming decades. This unit should be established with a … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects establishing a new unit of data and policy analysts, stating the Cabinet Office's Office of Equality and Opportunity already has analysts who undertake cross-government work on demographic change and ageing.
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Government Equalities Office

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
11 Dec 2024 Caroline Abrahams CBE · Age UK, Dr Carole Easton OBE · Centre for Better Ageing, Joanna Elson CBE · Independent Age, Rhian Bowen-Davies · Older People's Commissioner for Wales View ↗
17 Apr 2024 Alice Gould · Independent Press Standards Organisation, Kate Biggs · Ofcom, Malcolm Phillips · Committee of Advertising Practice View ↗
28 Feb 2024 Jonathan Boys · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Natalie Hall · 55/Redefined, Nicola Smith · TUC, Professor Wendy Loretto · University of Edinburgh Business School View ↗
7 Feb 2024 Councillor Gillian Ford · Local Government Association, Declan O'Dempsey · Cloisters Chambers, Dr Alysia Blackham · Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, Dr Emilene Zitkus · Loughborough University, Helen Dobson · Citizens Online, John Kirkpatrick · Equality and Human Rights Commission View ↗
10 Jan 2024 Carole Easton OBE · Centre for Ageing Better, Caroline Abrahams CBE · Age UK, Heléna Herklots CBE · Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Joanna Elson CBE · Independent Age View ↗

Who gave evidence

19 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Caroline Abrahams CBE · Charity Director Age UK 2
Joanna Elson CBE · Chief Executive Independent Age 2
Alice Gould · Head of Complaints Independent Press Standards Organisation 1
Carole Easton OBE · Chief Executive Centre for Ageing Better 1
Councillor Gillian Ford · Deputy Chair, Community and Wellbeing Board Local Government Association 1
Declan O'Dempsey · Barrister Cloisters Chambers 1
Dr Alysia Blackham · Associate Professor Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne 1
Dr Carole Easton OBE · Chief Executive Centre for Better Ageing 1
Dr Emilene Zitkus · Senior Lecturer Loughborough University 1
Helen Dobson · Managing Director Citizens Online 1
Heléna Herklots CBE · Older People's Commissioner for Wales Older People's Commissioner for Wales 1
John Kirkpatrick · Deputy Chief Executive Officer Equality and Human Rights Commission 1
Jonathan Boys · Senior Labour Market Economist Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) 1
Kate Biggs · Content Policy Director Ofcom 1
Malcolm Phillips · Regulatory Policy Manager Committee of Advertising Practice 1
Natalie Hall · Chief Strategy Officer 55/Redefined 1
Nicola Smith · Head of Economics, Employments Rights and Social … TUC 1
Professor Wendy Loretto · Dean and Professor of Organisational Behaviour University of Edinburgh Business School 1
Rhian Bowen-Davies · Older People's Commissioner for Wales Older People's Commissioner for Wales 1

Correspondence

8 letters
DateDirectionTitle
26 Jun 2025 — Correspondence from Secretary, Editors Code of Practice, re The rights of older…
25 Mar 2025 — Correspondence from Chief Executive, Hacked Off, re, The rights of older people…
19 Mar 2025 — Correspondence from Charlotte Dewar, Chief Executive, IPSO, re the rights of ol…
19 Mar 2025 — Correspondence from Jo Poots, Project Sponsor and Head of Complaints and Invest…
24 May 2024 — Correspondence to the Minister for Women and Equalities, relating to the rights…
15 May 2024 — Correspondence from Minister of State (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, C…
17 Apr 2024 — Correspondence to Lord Ahmad Minister of State (Middle East, N Africa, S Asia, …
28 Feb 2024 — Correspondence from the Advertising Standards Authority, relating to the rights…